American Vedic Association Newsletter - February 2009

Hari Bolo Friends of the Vedas!

Please accept my respects. All glory to the transcendental light of the Bhagavad-Gita as It Is!

On Tuesday, February 17th, 2009 7:30pm

Come join this wonderful evening that includes:

Congregational Mantra Meditation

A short study in Sanskrit

A FREE Vegetarian Feast and

A Bona-fide Sat-sanga where we will discuss:

How to Respond to Crime & Conflict?

Ostrich yoga is comforting, feel-good religion assuages guilt and preaching "Compassion" is the faith of the day! But they all abnegate the harsh reality of gross ignorance which breeds hate and crime. Discover how to effectively respond to conflict at the next AVA meeting! 7:30PM / 687 West Villanova Road - 640-0405 Always Free!

Prelude to This Month's Feature Article

What to Do About Violent Aggressive Behavior?

One of he most difficult issues the popular peace movements fail to adequately address is how to handle really nasty selfish violent aggression. Whether it is in the form of an individual armed robber by a single street hooligan or a rogue nation that attacking another country for water, mineral, or right of way resources, just what is a peace activist to do?

OK. I know. "Diplomacy" is always the predictable answer. That may work when a crook points his gun at your head and demands your wallet. But what is the solution when thousands of people from two nations with diametrically opposed world views start to clash? Usually all the street thief wants is money for a narcotics fix and hopefully he isn't too drugged up to do something that will get him incarcerated for murder. Is it possible to negotiate a settlement when two rival countries are demanding more resources then the earth is capable of providing? How likely is it that anything could ever get resolved if both parties see themselves as more entitled, more worthy, or more superior then the group which they are in conflict with?

OK. In this case the key word that rises to the challenge is: "Compromise." Using diplomatic methods both parties are usually approached with reasonable arguments about the prudence of "Compromising." In theory this is so rational that the concept of 'Compromise" one way or another ends up being part of nearly every treaty, settlement, or cease-fire. So "Diplomacy" & "Compromise" are the solutions for conflict offered by the peace activists.

This is a very pacifying concept because it really seems to be such a reasonable solution to a very difficult problem. However considering how many lawsuits are filed every day and the long history of war between nations, it apparently doesn't work very well. In theory one would expect it to work, but the difference between theory and reality is that in theory it ALWAYS works.

Unresolved Resentments

In reality things are much more complicated. Depending on the maturity of the individuals involved, some people handle compromise much better then others.

Divorce settlements give us a good window into understanding how the process of compromise doesn't always work so well. Splitting up a household is such an emotional experience many divorces are fiercely contested in courtrooms at extremely high costs. When that occurs the judge does the best he can to structure an agreement that inevitably requires both parties to compromise on their demands. Externally this appears to work OK because usually after a divorce both parties eventually get on with their lives and go their own ways. If they are fortunate they put their personal pain and losses permanently behind them. However there are numerous examples of individuals who have a very difficult time doing that. If they can't manage their anger it will eventually over-whelms them and that is whey the might be compelled to do something that will earn them an unplanned extended visit to the local jail!

The point that interests us here is the fact that if you talk with people who have been divorced it is very rare for either party to actually feel satisfied with what the judge ordered regardless of which side they are on. Fortunately many divorced people have been are able to avoid jail, but if you ask them how they felt about the outcome of their case do not be surprised if you discover a stockpile of resentments, bitterness, or indignation about the court, the judge, their lawyer or their former spouse.

Unfair World?

The problem with conflict resolution that relies on compromise is that it doesn't address the unresolved resentment that tends to brew in the mind of someone who feels they got cheated in what they believe is a fair and just world. Many have a hard time grasping the simple but frustrating fact that life will often appear to not be fair. This is particularly true for those who have been taught that our life is constrained to the time between when we are born until the day we die. The Christian concept that: "... it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: (Hebrews 9.27)" really exacerbates this problem. Despite the serious philosophical problems with this type of reasoning, many people have non-the-less been traumatically influenced by it. The Christians have generated al lot of fear propaganda regarding their concept that we only have one life to get right with Jesus. This not only makes for very bad theology, but it has crippled the ability for many people to grasp the more comprehensive and reasonable Vedic understanding of our situation which suggests: After this body can no longer sustain the presence of the soul, we move on to another body that is awarded to us based on the consciousness we develop during this life.

yam yam vapi smaran bhavam tyajaty ante kalevaram

tam tam evaiti kaunteya sada tad-bhava-bhavitah

"Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, O son of Kunti, that state he will attain without fail." - Bhagavad Gita As It Is, Chapter 8 "Attaining the Supreme', Text 6. LINK: http://bhagavadgitaasitis (dot) com/8/6/en (Replace (dot) with . for hyperlink)

When the early Christian church eliminated the concept of reincarnation from their doctrine, they also did away with the only rational explanation for why some people are born right from birth into poverty, serious illnesses, and great misfortunes, while others grow up with fantastic opulence, good health and the proverbial silver spoon in their mouth. Judaism and Islam have the same problem in regards to explaining why the God they promote would torment some souls while blessing others for no apparent good reason. The only difference is that the Jews are still waiting for their avatar to show up whereas the Muslims swapped out Jesus for what they consider to be the "New & Improved" version of a prophet: Mohamed!

Because there is such a tremendous dearth of sound spiritual education among the citizens of Kali Yuga, the purpose of life has become nearly fully eclipsed with the obsessive pursuit for gross sense gratification. Some people may have a primordial awareness that everything ultimately belongs to God, but that is completely forgotten when they are asked to settle for half of what they feel entitled to in a compromised legal agreement. In a similar way, we are so addicted to chasing the whims of our senses; many people can't even begin to wrap their brain around the important point that God is the also ONLY enjoyer.

aham hi sarva-yajnanam bhokta ca prabhur eva ca

na tu mam abhijananti tattvenatas cyavanti te

"I am the only enjoyer and master of all sacrifices. Therefore, those who do not recognize My true transcendental nature fall down." - Bhagavad Gita As It Is, Chapter 9 "The King of Knowledge', Text 24. LINK: http://bhagavadgitaasitis (dot) com/9/24/en (Replace (dot) with . for hyperlink)


The Mirage of One More Bibelot!

The population is not educated about this fact, so it's easy to understand why people are so upset when their sense gratification gets significantly impinged. It appears they are loosing their only fulcrum to happiness, but even the most neophyte transcendentalist knows that the endless pampering of the senses is not the key to contentment. Those who think that chasing after the bigger, better, bolder, brighter, or more beautiful bibelot will actually fulfill the yearning of their soul are just as deluded as the weary desert traveler who chaises the ever elusive mirage. The first one thinks the next purchase will make them happy just like the second one mirage chaser incorrectly believes that his thirst will be quenched just a little further ahead.

What this mean is that regardless of how many treaties are proposed to settle disputes between Russia & Georgia, Pakistan and India, or Israel and Palestine... that will not stop the conflicts. These efforts will fail as long as people remain ignorant about the spiritual laws that impact both the physical world our body functions in as well as the inner landscape where our consciousness resides.

Glowing Emerald Motes...

The bounty of the earth is not endless. This makes it simply impossible for the people from all nations to have their standard of living lifted to that which even the poorest people in the Western world take for granted. Here in America our homes have become private monuments to ourselves. To decorate them we willingly drain entire lakes via automatic computer controlled underground sprinkler systems so the hybrid Kentucky Blue grass we surround ourselves with will glow like an emerald mote.

It is therefore absurd not to expect that those who must pump their limited daily quota of fresh water from a distant well would not aspire for a more convenient way to meet their basic survival need for water.

The problem with diplomatic solutions that rely on compromise to settle conflicts is that it doesn't cure the wanderlust for more sense gratification. This is the root problem that not only lies at the heart of every conflict but is also the force which binds us to our material condition. The Gita explains exactly how this occurs:

dhyayato visayan pumsah sangas tesupajayate

sangat sanjayate kamah kamat krodho 'bhijayate

krodhad bhavati sammohah sammohat smrti-vibhramah

smrti-bhramsad buddhi-naso buddhi-nasat pranasyati

"While contemplating the objects of the senses, a person develops attachment for them, and from such attachment lust develops, and from lust anger arises. 62 From anger, complete delusion arises, and from delusion bewilderment of memory. When memory is bewildered, intelligence is lost, and when intelligence is lost one falls down again into the material pool." - Bhagavad Gita As It Is, Chapter 2 "Contents Of The Gita Summarized', Text 63. LINK: http://bhagavadgitaasitis (dot) com/2/63/en (Replace (dot) with . for hyperlink)

If we continue to promote the paradigm that the world is meant for our unlimited enjoyment, then nobody will ever be willing to surrender resources that are in short supply and therefore the conflicts related to how they should be distributed will continue to escalate.

The reality is that we will either gracefully embrace the radical change that everyone senses must come, or it will be forced upon us. Many are starting to connect the dots between this inevitable fact and the tremendous upheavals we are seeing now in the economy, the stock market and the banking crisis. What is really scary about all this is that we can expect to see a rise in domestic quarrels, crime and suicide as more stores close, additional jobs are eliminated, people loose their homes, and both food and gas prices continue to skyrocket.

An Effective Peace Formula

So what is the solution for all the crime, conflict and unrest in the world? It must begin with a massive reeducation of the public. Everyone must first understand that life consists of a continuum of consciousness that extends way before and after the mere hundred years of so we actually tread on this planet. When a person actually grasps this concept, and doesn't just pay lip service to the words like karma and reincarnation, then they will automatically become more thoughtful about who they are listening to, what they are thinking, and ultimately how they are acting. When they become more conscious of their situation, they will be less inclined to do things that would lead to undesirable consequences coming down on their head in the next episode of their appearance in the material world. (Karma)

Realizing this one point alone will make it easier for a person to embrace the more challenging concept that the world is not our playpen but our jailhouse. Birth, Death, Disease and Old Age simply isn't fun no mater how people try to hide it, reinterpret it, or shuffle it aside as an illusion. When we retool our understanding to comprehend that the material world is not our proper place of residence, we will be then become more inclined to act in a way to ensure our release from it instead of recommitting the same offenses that keep us incarcerated.

We are sometimes amazed at the indignant attitude expressed by those who behave inappropriately and end up in jail. But that is to be expected when the noble qualities of simplicity, humility, and gratitude are replaced with the quest for high tech gadgetry, narcissistic pride and demands for cheaper, quicker, and better products and services!


Where Is My Television?

One hundred years ago nobody knew what a television was. Yet now it has become such a "necessity" the government is offering a 40$ rebate for those who need the converter box required to receive the digital signal when the old analogue signal is discontinued Feb. 17, 2009. (Although I think that date has been extended for another month due to the lethargy of those who still only own unconverted analog television sets.) Meanwhile in other places around the world there are literally millions of people who don't even own a crummy transistor radio yet somehow they manage to get by!

The point is that the only real solution to crime & conflict is to realize that our current maniacal desire to serve the whims of our senses is the path towards catastrophe because the senses are insatiable and focusing on them disables our ability to act intelligently.

indriyanam hi caratam yan mano 'nuvidhiyate

tad asya harati prajnam vayur navam ivambhasi

"As a strong wind sweeps away a boat on the water, even one of the roaming senses on which the mind focuses can carry away a man's intelligence." - Bhagavad Gita As It Is, Chapter 2 "Contents of The Gita Summarized', Text 67. LINK: http://bhagavadgitaasitis (dot) com/2/63/en (Replace (dot) with . for hyperlink)

The alternative is to teach people how to appease the urges of their senses by satisfying them with better alternatives that are sanctioned from a "Higher Power." It is not that one is expected to stop eating... but the Vedas do recommend that we stop eating animals. Similarly the Vedas do not suggest that we be derelict about getting proper medical treatment, but they do advise that we should become cautious about recreational drugs and conscious-clouding intoxication.

Accepting Good Advice Is Intelligent!

If we abide by these types of guidelines we will eventually emerge out of the swamp of our own foolishy self imposed confusion and start to see things clearly. That is when our lost relationship with Krishna, situated within our heart as Supersoul will get re-ignited. It is that divine exchange which actually evaporates the disappointments we encounter when engaging on the material plane. In time, our attraction for that celestial communion fully reveals itself as the unparalleled higher taste we have always sought. This exchange is without comparison because it not only leads us out of our infatuation with the mundane but it also fully satisfies the craving of our own eternally individual spirit.

visaya vinivartante niraharasya dehinah

rasa-varjam raso 'py asya param drstva nivartate

"The embodied soul may be restricted from sense enjoyment, though the taste for sense objects remains. But, ceasing such engagements by experiencing a higher taste, he is fixed in consciousness." - Bhagavad Gita As It Is, Chapter 2 "Contents of The Gita Summarized', Text 59. LINK: http://bhagavadgitaasitis (dot) com/2/59/en (Replace (dot) with . for hyperlink)

If only a small portion of the general population were to grasp this most important point, then that would be enough to lead the rest of the world out of the quagmire we currently find ourselves in. Cultivating those who are ready to take up that education is exactly what the Krishna Consciousness movement is all about. We hope that those who read this presentation will understand why teaching the message of Godhead, as originally revealed in the Vedas and expertly presented by the great acaryas, is the most important service to humanity that a person can do.

This Issue HOT LINK: The Three Modes Of Nature

Another theme that often comes up whenever well-intended individuals try to mitigate world conflicts is the idea of finding some "Common ground." This often shows up in the form of celebrating our humanity, or our "Oneness" as a human race. This is a move in the right direction, but it falls short because humans are complex and need to find ways to satisfy their senses so they are appeased without unleashing them to become dictatorial tyrants. For this reason the Vedas provide a very comprehensive plan on how we can all get our basic needs met and live comfortably. Instead of attempting to repress unfavorable habits, the Vedas offer a process where the urge to commit crime and conflict is actually replaced with something better that is conducive to a better sociaty. The cornerstone to that plan is the focus of this month's hot link.

Even though it is presented in a humorously exaggerated way, the message of this hot link illustrates a very deep philosophical point. It is just one minute long and so simple that many will be inclined to scoff it off and dismiss it as naive and idealistic. Yet despite those objections, the message remains profound and deeply rooted in a sound Vedic treatise that has been handed down and practiced by the sages for millennia. So please keep this point in mind if you discover that your conditional thinking leads you to some other conclusion.

http://de.youtube (dot) com/watch?v=xO0DtbaIeAM&feature=related (Replace (dot) with . for hyperlink)

Main Article by HDG A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

Contending with Crime and Conflict

This is the continuation of a conversation between His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and some of his disciples in New Vrindaban. West Virginia, on June 26, 1976.

HDG A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami: Actually, I've seen in New York that in some quarters, it is so nasty. Disaster. So many storefronts and houses lying vacant. Just after my arrival there. I would sometimes walk to see various parts of the city. Hellish condition. People said it was risky, but [laughing] I did not know that it was risky.

One electrician who was my friend said. "Oh, Swamiji, you are going to that quarter? It is not for you. Don't."

"Oh, I do not care. What have I got that they could take from me?"

So I was going here and there in New York City. So many nasty quarters. London, also. So many houses vacant.

Disciple: Srila Prabhupada, some say there is more chance of being killed in New York City than in the jungle. Violent criminals are roaming the neighborhoods to rob and rape, because they know that very often, modern society isn't going to do much to stop them. These thugs can literally get away with murder.

HDG A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami: Yes. People warned me not to go to Central Park in the evening. They said at night nobody goes there.

Disciple: That's quite true, Srila Prabhupada. At night ordinary people are afraid to go there. They have to stay inside, behind locked doors. Nobody can go to the park. Except the muggers and killers. They practically own the place.

HDG A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami: Such an important park in such an important city, and no one can go there.

Disciple: Srila Prabhupada, it seems people are realizing how bad this modern civilization is. But is there anything this civilization has done that's good -- even if just by accident? People are hoping against hope... because their civilization is so bad.

HDG A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami: Yes. That is why they support this "accident" theory of the universe. Because ordinarily in their civilization, there is no good. There is no possibility of good. But some good may come by accident, that's all. Otherwise, jagato 'hitah: world destruction:


etam drstim avastabhya nastatmano 'lpa-buddhayah

prabhavanty ugra-karmanah ksayaya jagato 'hitah

"Following such conclusions, the demoniac, who are lost to themselves and who have no intelligence, engage in unbeneficial, horrible works meant to destroy the world." - Bhagavad Gita As It Is, Chapter 16 "The Divine & Demoniac Nature', Text 9. LINK:
http://bhagavadgitaasitis (dot) com/16/9/en (Replace (dot) with . for hyperlink)


In their civilization, there is only fault. But accidentally, good sometimes comes. Accidentally, this Krsna consciousness movement came here [laughing], although it was already going on in India. Nobody here called for Krsna consciousness -- the scientists. the politicians. But as if by accident it came. As if by accident they got this benefit. They cannot explain the workings of God: therefore, they take everything as an accident.

[To disciple:] Go on reading.

Disciple: [reading from Bhagavad-gita 16.9]: "The demoniac are engaged in activities that will lead the world to destruction. The Lord states here that they are less intelligent The materialists, who have no concept of God, think that they are advancing. But according to Bhagavad-gita, they are unintelligent and devoid of all sense. They try to enjoy this material world to the utmost limit and therefore always engage in inventing something for sense gratification. Such materialistic inventions are considered to be advancement of human civilization, but the result is that people grow more and more violent and more and more cruel -- cruel to animals and cruel to other human beings. They have no idea how to behave toward one another. Animal killing is very prominent amongst demoniac people. Such people are considered the enemies of the world, because ultimately they will invent or create something which will bring destruction to all. Indirectly, this verse anticipates the invention of nuclear weapons, of which the whole world is today very proud. At any moment war may take place, and these atomic weapons may create havoc. Such things are created solely for the destruction of the world, and this is indicated here. Due to godlessness, such weapons are invented in human society; they are not meant for the peace and prosperity of the world."

HDG A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami: Now discuss.

Disciple: If we look back over this century, Srila Prabhupada, we can't find many years of peace. The Russo-Japanese War, the First World War, the Second World War. the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and hundreds of what they call "low-intensity conflicts." But always some kind of war going on. Whether in the Middle East or Latin America or Africa, people are always fighting over land and industrial resources. It seems some kind of war always has to be going on.

HDG A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami: Yes, always some war. "Cold war" or "hot war," as they say. When there is the fire of physical combat that is a hot war. And when there are diplomacy and politics, that is a cold war. So war is going on. Sometimes it is hot; sometimes it is cold. There is no peace.

Disciple: And what's more, Srila Prabhupada, we even see that among the so-called God conscious communities, still there are such horrible activities going on. Fighting.

HDG A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami: No. no. we don't say that all fighting has to stop. We are drawing a distinction between fighting by demons and fighting by demigods. If you are a demon and you come to attack me, then I must defend myself. What can I do?

If you start a war, you are a demon. Shall I decline from fighting you? "No, no. I am a demigod -- I shall not fight. You can kill me." Is that intelligent? I'll have to fight

"Contending With Crime & Conflict"

(BTG #24-05, 1989)

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* End This Issue Feature Article *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

This Issue Thoughtful Quote(s)

"Simply by material birth, human beings become attached within their minds to personal sense gratification, long duration of life, sense activities, bodily strength, sexual potency and friends and family. Their minds are thus absorbed in that which defeats their actual self-interest." – Srimad Bhagavat Purana Canto 11, "General History" Chapter 21, "Lord Krishna Explains the Vedic Path" Text 24. LINK: http://vedabase (dot) net/sp/11/21/24/en (Replace (dot) with . for hyperlink)

"Those who are sworn to sense gratification cannot understand the confidential conclusion of Vedic knowledge as explained by Me.29 Taking pleasure in violence, they cruelly slaughter innocent animals in sacrifice for their own sense gratification and thus worship demigods, forefathers and leaders among ghostly creatures. Such passion for violence, however, is never encouraged within the process of Vedic sacrifice.30 Just as a foolish businessman gives up his real wealth in useless business speculation, foolish persons give up all that is actually valuable in life and instead pursue promotion to material heaven, which although pleasing to hear about is actually unreal, like a dream. Such bewildered persons imagine within their hearts that they will achieve all material blessings "– Srimad Bhagavat Purana Canto 11, "General History" Chapter 21, "Lord Krishna Explains the Vedic Path" Text 29-31. LINK: http://vedabase (dot) net/sp/11/21/29/en (Replace (dot) with . for hyperlink)


"Not only the performer of the theft but also anyone who assists him, instigates the crime, or simply approves of it must also share the reaction in the next life. According to their degree of participation, they each must suffer a proportionate consequence. "– Srimad Bhagavat Purana Canto 11, "General History" Chapter 27, "Lord Krishna Instructions on the processof Deity Worship" Text 55. LINK: http://vedabase (dot) net/sp/11/21/24/en (Replace (dot) with . for hyperlink)


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